Basket-handle.



PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

, J. B. KENNY.

BASKET HANDLE.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 24,1906.

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JOHN B. KENNY, OF GENEVA, NEW YORK.

BASKET-HANDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed November 24,1906. Serial No. 644,978.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. KENNY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Geneva, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Basket-Handles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in grape-baskets and similar containers, and more particularly to a combined handle and cover-fastening means for such containers.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be simple, inexpensive, easy to apply, and very effective for the purpose intended.

The above and other objects, which Will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, are accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grapebasket with my improved handle and coverfastener applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the combined handle and 1(:{0ver-fastener before it is applied to the bas- Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes a basket or other similar container for grapes, fruit, and the like, and 2 denotes the cover for the same. These parts may be of any desired form and construction.

The numeral 3 denotes my combined handle and cover-fastener, which is preferably formed from a single piece of resilient wire of suitable size. In making the device 3 the Y piece of wire is bent into the form shown in Fig. 3, so that it consists of a central horizontal portion 4, forming a hand-grip, two substantially vertical side portions 5, and angular hook-shaped loops 6 at the lower ends of the upright portions 5. These loops 6 are adapted to be engaged with the opposite sides of the basket 1, and each has a straight portion 7 to engage the outer face of the usual reinforcing strip or band surrounding the upper edge of the basket, an angular upper portion 8, which offsets the loop 6 from the upright portion 5 of the handle and which serves as a shoulder to bear upon the upper or outer edge of the cover 2, and thus frictionally retain the latter in its closed position upon the basket, and a lower inwardly-projecting portion or prong 9, which after being passed through the side of the basket, as shown in Fig. 2, is adapted to be bent upwardly against the inner face of said side and to have its upper end project above the plane of the top or upper edge of the basket. This spur 9 is slightly curved and has its upper end beveled outwardly and downwardly, as shown at 10, for a purpose presently eX- plained. The length of the straight portion 7 of each loop is slightly less than that of the width of the upper reinforcing-band on the basket and the thickness of the cover 2, so that the portion or shoulder 8 will be inclined inwardly and upwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and will firmly engage the upper outer edge of the basket-cover.

In applying the device 3 to the basket the spurs 9 of the loops 6 are forced through the centers of the sides of the basket immediately below its upper reinforcing-band, and they are then bent upwardly against the inner faces of the basket-sides, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. WVhen the spurs are thus bent up, the handle will be effectively secured to the basket and their upper ends or points will project above the top of the basket and into the cover 2, so as to effectively retain the latter in its closed position. The spurs thus coact with the clamping-shoulders 8 to retain the cover upon the basket and obviate the necessity of wire hooks at the ends of the basket or any other supplemental devices for fastening or retaining the cover in its closed position. In applying the cover to the basket it is tilted to its inclined position, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) so that its upper edge is located in one of the upper corners of the handle and its lower edge is located between the upper edge of the opposite side of the basket and the shoulder 8 above said edge. \Vhen in this position, it will be seen that the cover can be slid endwise into the handle until it is centered above the basket and that this elevated edge may then be pressed down upon the top of the basket or into a horizontal position, whereupon the ends 10 of the spurs 9 will enter the bottom face of the cover and its edges will be effectively clamped by the sh0ulders 8 to retain it in its closed position upon the basket.

Owing to the resiliency of the handle itself, and also to the flexibility of the sides of the basket, the cover may be readily forced from its dotted-line to its full-line position (shown in Fig. 2,) and for the same reason it maybe as readily moved from its full-line to its dottedline position when it is desired to remove the cover. When the latter is desired, one of the vertical portions 5 of the handle is pulled outwardly, and at the same time the adjacent edge of the cover is pulled upwardly until said edge slips over the shoulder 8 and the cover assumes its dotted-line position in Fig. 2. When in this position, it may be moved endwise and entirely detached from the basket. Upon reference to the right-hand side of Fig. 2 it will be noted that the lower or righthand edge of the cover when in its dotted-line position rests upon the upper edge of the side of the basket and slides in engagement with the shoulder 8, and at the same time it does not contact with the spur 9, owing to the inward curve of the latter and to the outward bevel or inclination of its point 10.

From the foregoing it will be observed that my improved combined handle and coverfastener is of simple construction, so that it may be manufactured at a small cost and quickly and easily applied to the basket. It will also be seen that the cover 2 may be quickly and easily applied to and removed from the basket and when in its applied or closed position will be effectively secured without the use of wire hooks, loops, or other supplemental fastening devices.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination with a container and a cover therefor, of a handle for said container provided with a shoulder to engage the top of the cover and with a spur located within the container and engaged with the bottom face of said cover for securing it upon the container.

2. The combination with a container and a cover therefor, of a handle provided at its ends with loops to engage the opposite sides of said container, said loops having shoulders to engage the edges of the cover, and spurs located within the container and engaged with the bottom face of said cover for securing it upon said container.

3. The combination with a basket and a cover therefor, of a resilient metal handle formed at its ends With loops to engage and enter the opposite sides of the basket, said loops having at their upper ends angularlydisposed shoulders to engage the edges of the cover, and at their lower ends upwardly and inwardly projecting spurs located within the basket and projecting above its upper edge for engagement with the bottom face of the cover, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a basket and a cover therefor, of a combined handle and cover-fastener formed from a single piece of resilient wire and bent to provide the handgrip 4, the upright portions 5 and the loops 6, each of the latter having a straight portion 7 to engage the outer face of the side of the basket, the inclined portion or shoulder 8 to engage the top of the cover and the spur 9 located within the basket and bearing against the inner face of the basket, said spur having its upper end projecting above the upper edge of the basket for engagement with the bottom face of the cover, said spur being formed at its extremity with the outwardlybeveled upper point 10, substantially as shown and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. KENNY.

Witnesses:

M. F. DEVANEY, P. H. LEAHY. 

